Information for people contemplating
a career in emergency medicine and
other medical specialties

None of these books are currently for sale (some are FREE), but if you have one of my e-books, that does not mean you can give it, loan it, or otherwise transfer it—that's copyright infringement: a $150,000 mistake.

Miscellaneous books

Coming soon

Plan B for Racism: Rapidly Overcoming Racism, Bigotry, and Homophobia

I have 1001 things to do, so why would I take the time to write this free book? My great-grandfather was killed because of racism. He died a horrible death that likely gave great delight to the racist who murdered him.

“Prejudices are what fools use for reason.”
— Voltaire

I once thought there was no need for a book on erasing racism, which seemed extinguished in everyone except Neanderthals. Then I learned that some healthcare providers intentionally kill black patients because they are black. I'd previously posted how to rapidly reverse racism (not just sweep it under the rug in response to PC pressure) on my ERbook.net site and this site. I did that without fanfare, expecting people to realize that I found the antidote to racism, which would go viral. However, just matter-of-factly stating it was not enough, so I wrote a book on that topic. My remedy for racism is also the cure for homophobia and bigotry, which is rampant.

They're more likely to be
invited to birthday parties

With research showing that six-year-olds with strabismus are less likely to be invited to birthday parties and with evidence that people choose friends (not just lovers) based in part on their appearance, it is clear that discrimination starts early and endures.

A Dateline program, My Kid Would Never Do That: Discrimination, demonstrated that many teenagers steeped since birth in political correctness and the iniquity of racism are nevertheless often eager to discriminate based on race. Americans excel not in eradicating racism but in hiding their bias so they outwardly seem better than they truly are. Hence, our racial progress is more of a sham than a success.

Americans are superb at deceiving themselves, falling for the housing bubble, the public and private debt bubbles, the education bubble, and the dot-com bubble, which proved that we're slow learners, because now we have the social media bubble with investors throwing money at Facebook that's led by a loon who thinks that slashing the throats of animals is humane; they should have learned from how Myspace and many other once-hot sites fizzled out. With Americans deluding themselves about money they love so much, it's no wonder they can't accurately assess our racial progress.

As I alluded to above, my cure for those forms of bias is no band-aid cover-up; it eradicates them by destroying their roots, replacing it with a heartfelt desire to be kind and understanding toward all people and even animals (thus my book will also curb animal abuse and trivialization: see my ShelterAnimals.org site). My book is the roadmap providing a shortcut to becoming a better person with a heart of gold. Its readers will improve their marriages, harmonize better with siblings and co-workers, and possibly even change their political opinions.

I once was such an inveterate conservative that I couldn't imagine ever thinking differently. I thought that liberals were either stupid, ignorant, or unprincipled. However, as my cure for racism, bigotry, and homophobia spread through my heart, it changed how I think in other ways, too. While I don't agree with liberals on everything (I once agreed with them on nothing), I now think that many of their positions are more enlightened. I was blind to the liberal light until I found the secret to being a good person. That change of heart changed my mind, even on matters for which my opinions seemed cast in stone (example: see why I am selling my Sea-doo, Ski-doo, and shed to help a deported person [Liz Larios] reenter the United States).

While I am not fully liberal or conservative, I am hardly a namby-pamby independent. I am still as feisty as ever, but now rather than thinking liberals are dead wrong on everything, I strongly agree with them on some issues (and, IMHO, I do a better job of arguing in favor of those opinions by using shirtsleeve English). I see—or still remember—how conservatives think and now I “get” liberals, too. More importantly, I understand the errors both sides make, such as thinking they can only win by making the other side lose. Wrong. I've demonstrated how it is possible to achieve seemingly impossible goals, such as simultaneously giving the left more of what it wants while also giving the same to the right. This creates win-win-win situations that everyone with common sense will embrace. This will help heal the nation and boost our economy, as in this example.

Incidentally, I am not suggesting that all conservatives have cold hearts, but I did. I worked for years in an ER pressure cooker so intense that most of the experienced ER doctors we hired quit after working less than a week, despite the excellent pay and benefits that included nurses and other staff who made most Hollywood stars look like Plain Janes. My perfectionism exacerbated that pressure. I wanted to do a perfect, thorough job on every patient—simply not possible in an ER in which I might be running three codes at the same time in addition to having dozens of other patients screaming for attention (see 15 Minutes in the Life of an ER Doctor).

Coupled with chronic insomnia secondary to severe objective tinnitus, the one good night of sleep I got every five years or so wasn't enough to help me resist the ER stress. In response, I became cold, withdrawn, and depressed. My Mom called me a name I'd rather not repeat: an idiom for someone who is aloof (emotionally distant; reserved and remote), hard-hearted, unfeeling, and unfriendly. I wasn't cold before I went into medicine, and after leaving the ER, I'm not cold now. I'm always thinking of others and trying to help them—even strangers, such as Liz Larios, or donating meals or firewood. That's quite a change from my conservative, emotionally-beaten-to-a-pulp-from-the-ER years. I'm now happy, frequently joking, and talkative, whereas I often had little to say outside the ER.

This book will not be a dry and sterile high-brow discussion because the ones I've seen failed to connect with people. Instead of addressing the root causes of racism and bigotry, they shame people and instill fear, making people so afraid of being labeled racist that they bend over backwards to hide their bias. This is as counterproductive as taking a drug that eliminates the symptoms of a disease but not the disease itself. The disease of racism is deadly, such as when healthcare personnel use syringes to kill instead of heal. Racism onerously attacks the soul of those who possess it and those targeted by it: victims who sense the lingering moral malignancy yet are deprived the satisfaction of confronting the racists who were given tutorials by PC intellectuals in how to evade the racism label while letting the hatred run wild. Although the Dateline program mentioned above gave some good advice, it unwittingly tutored people in how to sweep racism under the rug but did not address its root cause and best solution.

In this modern age, with the Internet and rapid transportation producing unprecedented cross-cultural/racial/ethnic diffusion, the implicit bias most of us harbor ought to instill a certain wariness at most, not pervasive and perennial bias impervious to experiences that should erode those inherent tendencies. As civilization forces square pegs into round roles, almost everyone willingly and even reflexively sheds some of our genetic proclivities. For example, most honest men would admit that they would, if they could, sleep with many women, not only their wives, regardless of their allure. Infidelity is common but not nearly as prevalent as the desire: proof that we can override even very powerful basic urges. Now I'll be blunt. Since we can do that, why the hell haven't we done that in the case of implicit bias that manifests as racism? Does clinging to that give some comfort or other advantage that perpetuates it by reinforcing or rewarding it?

The genetic advantage of implicit bias (likely why it originated) has long since vanished. It persists not because it confers a survival advantage, but because it gives small-minded people a way to boost their self-assessment relative to others. Can't do anything great? Just put others down to rise above them. Problem solved—or so the small-minded ones think.

What Michael Jackson and I have in common

I implicitly assumed that what is disparaged is inferior, so after years of being called “nigger nose” and “nigger lips,” I delayed college for a year to save enough money to pay a plastic surgeon. He wasn't the quack who butchered Michael Jackson, once a handsome young man, but he was also bereft of professional judgment; the ability to pay for a procedure is not justification for doing it. I'd give even more money to have my original lips back. Bigger lips are more attractive, and they have more potential to impart pleasure while kissing. Carve 'em up? Why?

Michael Jackson's obsession with surgery seems motivated by a desire to rid himself of what was disparaged: his father reportedly “taunted him about his "fat nose".”

The pain of such put-downs often lingers. I get nervous around cameras, hate mirrors or anything reflective—I just don't want to see what I look like—but removing the source of disparagement doesn't magically restore self-esteem or even self-acceptance, nor does it erase body dysmorphic disorder.

There's a silver lining in every cloud, and the upside to social rejection is that it can fuel motivation. In Jackson's case, he became a superstar, and in mine, I morphed from being a “slow” student (as my sixth-grade teacher called me) to graduating at the top of my class in medical school, then inventing some things that will, when they're released, have billions of people now and in the future thrilled with what I will do for them, including benefits that now seem like a pipe dream. But catalyzing achievement doesn't excuse put-downs because it isn't right to inflict the pain they cause.

It takes no brains to find faults in others. I've yet to meet anyone even close to perfect, and the ones most lacking in flaws are often the most lacking in accomplishment. As Abraham Lincoln said, “It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues.”

Lacking virtue compels some small-minded people into attacking others, perhaps thinking criticism will bring others down to their low level.

We'd all be wise to heed what Admiral Rickover said. The world abounds with problems that need to be solved. Let's solve this one.

What Americans (and perhaps others) are doing—blasting racism and even episodic non-PC outbursts—isn't working. It's time for Plan B for racism.

This book also discusses classism. Believe it or not, but some people think they are better than others. For example, one of my bosses cautioned me not to eat lunch with what he termed “the help.” In his mind, “the help” were the nurses, technicians, and other staff with whom I worked, and he evidently felt that doctors should not associate with them. According to my nurse/psychologist girlfriend, it isn't just doctors who are snobs in the medical world. She said nurse assistants sometimes think they're better than transporters and dietary staff, LPNs think they're better than nurse assistants, RNs think they're better than LPNs, pharmacists think they're better than RNs, doctors think they're better than pharmacists, and hospital administrators know they're better than everyone else.

My book will also cover gender discrimination. I've witnessed—and been enraged by—how too many men still treat women as second-class citizens (here's one example). Politicians can write all the laws they want, but they'll never change how people think. Women are still often discriminated against, even in everyday matters such as the one I presented. This problem is swept under the rug, not solved. I intend to solve it.

I will tackle bullying with a multifaceted strategy: creating a culture of kindness, erasing the social customs that enable bullies to abuse others, and giving bullies harmless ways to get what they ultimately want.

I will also discuss the greatest source of hate in the United States: hostility directed at people with different political opinions. The Left doesn't just disagree with the Right or dislike them; they hate them and go to great lengths to prove they're crazy, stupid, misguided, and cruel, often lying when the facts aren't enough to make their case. The Right does the same thing to the Left. Partisans view this as war—and you know the saying about all's fair in love and war. When people feel they are not bound by the rules of fair play, they hit below the belt and pat themselves on the back for their unprincipled behavior, often eagerly tearing down other Americans more savagely than they would al-Qaeda terrorists. Our leaders applaud this infighting because they exploit these divisions to gain and hold political power. Our leaders rarely have great ideas for exciting voters, such as ways to stimulate the economy (for everyone, not just their special interests), improve healthcare while making it more affordable, or protecting us from criminals, so politicians routinely pit one group of Americans against others. Their strategy is divide and conquer, which works election after election because few people know how both sides could win.

My book will also combat crime by addressing some of its root causes.

I know what you're thinking: this is too much to cover in one book. I disagree. The problems I address have a common cause that can be remedied by a common solution.

Racist Slander and Libel: How Political Partisans and Politicians Allege Racism to Camouflage Their Lack of Good Ideas

A case that illustrates this: a LinkedIn influencer posted an article that painted an overly rosy picture of Mexico. After glossing over its shortcomings, he encouraged young people to try their luck in Mexico.

I'm attracted to Mexico. Its beautiful weather would be a pleasant change from living in Michigan, where the cold began last October and didn't end until late May, causing untold misery and property damage, including to my home, necessitating months of repairs. I'm also attracted to Mexico's gorgeous women. Many years ago, a friend of mine raved about their pulchritude, friendliness, and unspoiled nature.

Tempting? You bet, but as much as I like beautiful weather, women, and a lower cost of living, I also like living—and I'm afraid that moving or traveling there is too risky.

Suspecting the influencer may have a direct or indirect financial motive to write what he did, I challenged him to substantiate his opinions that struck me as wishful thinking. He hasn't yet responded (typical for LinkedIn, where influencers usually preach but don't listen and often don't disclose their vested interests), but a couple of commenters suggested I was bigoted and/or racist for believing what the American media says about violence and corruption in Mexico.

I responded:

It isn't wise or fair to make generalizations about people you don't know. What you don't know about me is that a woman in my town was deported by the Obama administration because her parents brought her here when she was SIX YEARS OLD. She did everything people should do and was a perfect American perfectly entitled to stay here (in my opinion), so I sold some of my expensive toys to raise money to help her return. That's bigotry? That's racism? No, that's you jumping to unwarranted conclusions.

Years ago, I agreed with millions of Americans who possess a deceptively simple conception of the issue of illegal immigration: it's our country, they entered illegally, kick 'em out, end of story. Then I learned that a huge chunk of the western United States once was part of Mexico. We bought a small part of that land fair and square, but the rest was acquired using might makes right principles of coercion. As fond as I am of the U.S., I am even more fond of doing the right thing, and might makes right is never a justifiable part of that equation.

I also advocate treating everyone with decency and respect. EVERYBODY. I want Liz and her devoted husband back in the United States because they belong here and, from what I've learned following their story, they're in a dangerous border town. In fact, her cousin was murdered – that's no media exaggeration.

Here's a relevant quote for you to consider:

“Do not correct a fool, or he will hate you; correct a wise man, and he will appreciate you.”
— Author unknown

Your presumption about me was blatantly false, so we'll see if you're wise or a fool.

A commenter persisted, suggesting the American media is lying about Mexico. I replied:

Excerpted from an article written about Liz:

“… he and his wife went back to the family farm and the drug cartel showed up and demanded money and drugs. Right in front of him they blew his wife's head off. They pistol whipped him, but he survived,” said Horn. “He escaped back to the U.S. but was caught and deported back. Well, he had nowhere to go but back to the family home. The drug cartel caught him, tortured him and hung him to death. Now Liz's Uncle was the chief of police. He started investigating the murder and a week later was murdered.” (source)

That and 1001 other stories suggest that the American media is either reporting serious problems in Mexico, or they're brazen liars. If you have evidence of the latter, attack them, not me.

For the record, one of the hallmarks of bigots is that they're intolerant of people with opposing viewpoints and, if unable to factually counter them, engage in ad hominem attacks and character assassination to divert attention from the main issue: in this case, that Mexico is a troubled country. If it ISN'T, and is as safe as the U.S., I'd greatly appreciate receiving EVIDENCE of this because I'd love to capitalize on the benefit Mexico offers I alluded to initially.

From the U.S. Department of State: “…the Department of State crime threat rating for Mexico City is Critical, the highest Department rating.” (source)

Are they bigoted? Racist? (President Obama wouldn't tolerate that.) Some of the recklessly irresponsible allegations of bigotry or racism trivialize legitimate concerns that people have for their safety.

According to an article in Scientific American Mind (Jan/Feb 2013), CEOs top the list of the most psychopathic professions, so it is naïve to assume one is a fount of goodness without specific reasons for that (and being a lapdog is not adequate justification). CEOs advocating something often have a financial incentive for hoping others believe them. Questioning them and pressing them to better substantiate their opinions is simply wise, not an act of war.

I'm always open to changing my mind when given facts, not heated rhetoric from cheerleaders who think name-calling wins every disagreement. In this case, Mr. Fink's rosy picture doesn't mesh with what the U.S. Department of State says about Mexico City, so I don't believe him just because he's an illustrious CEO, as one commenter suggested. That's idolatry, not common sense.

Perhaps those commenters were lapdogs hoping to impress the influencer, or were trolls, or bigots who can't tolerate different opinions.

Bigots never change their minds; they just fume when presented with evidence that doesn't comport with their viewpoints. Thus they wouldn't change their opinion of me even if they knew I offered free housing (& food, energy, etc.) and introduced a new concept (adult adoption or sponsorship) as ways to help people immigrate from other countries without burdening American taxpayers. Liberals profess to care so much about others, but have any personally done more to help? They typically advocate solutions that further burden taxpayers, who already pay enough.

One thing is clear: when one cannot question whether Mexico is safe without being called bigoted and racist, it is obvious that such name-calling is going way too far. Based on this preposterous standard, if you've ever said anything negative (even if it is truthful) about a country, you're a bigot/racist who hates its people. Such a supposition is so utterly absurd it is obviously utilized only by intellectual lightweights.

The current price of this book on Amazon is $705.30 + $3.99 shipping. I priced it at $12.95, so after years of it selling for multiples of my price, the smart people who bought it made more from it than I did! :-)

Surprisingly, Dr. Mark Brown's arguably even better Emergency!: True Stories From The Nation's ERs is now listed at $7.19.

I just discarded a mountain of my books because I tired of the book business long ago after harping at Amazon to embrace e-books, which they resisted for years. I should dig through old hard drives to find what they wrote in response, which made me want to pull my hair out. I wondered, “Don't they get it?” Now they do, but that is because people like me pushed them in that direction; it certainly wasn't the other way around: them twisting the arms of authors and publishers to produce e-books.

Think you know what it's like in an Emergency Room just because you watch the television show ER ? Take it from an ER doctor—you don't! Certain aspects of emergency rooms are just not palatable enough for prime-time viewing. The rest of the story, as Paul Harvey would say, is far more interesting. You won't find these stories on TV, but you'll find them in True Emergency Room Stories.

Reader comments:

Ron Lancaster, Radio Host, WDIS, Norfolk MA: “Truly a great book. It's one of the most fascinating books I've read.”

Steve B., Aguanga CA: “I sent the following to a number of friends: Rarely do I give a guarantee! Get this book . . . if you don't have fun with it, I'll buy it from you and send it to someone who has a better sense of humor. … Kevin Pezzi's background may make him the world's most intelligent doctor. By the way, I'd stand on my head if I have to to read ANYTHING from Pezzi!”

Reader, North Miami Beach FL: “From the first sentence, Dr. Pezzi had me riveted. From his collection of outrageous ER experiences to his insightful, candid viewpoints on the state of healthcare in America, he offers a wickedly voyeuristic ride into the real world of emergency medicine. Unlike other ER books which simply offer a compilation of stories, Pezzi writes with a bracing candor that breaks down the “white coat” barrier to reveal the feelings, thoughts and fears of an ER doctor. He's made an avid fan out of this reader!”

Beverly G., RN, ER Nurse: “I brought the book to work and everyone in my ER read it and copied the cover to buy it for themselves. The book is right on the money and is written extremely well. One RN said most of the ER books are boring, but this one he couldn't put down. I have read it from cover to cover in one day. I love it.”

Sandy, ER, St Anthony's Hospital: “I loved your book. It is now making the rounds at St Anthony's Hospital! Everyone really likes it. PLEASE tell me that you are going to write another one. Besides the actual stories, I really enjoy your sense of humor and honesty of your feelings.”

Before I became an ER doctor, I assumed that emergency rooms treated only genuine emergencies such as heart attacks, strokes, and assorted injuries. That assumption proved to be very naive. In reality, patients go to emergency rooms for just about every imaginable reason, including many that deal with sex, love, and lust. Furthermore, ER doctors, nurses, and patients sometimes become romantically involved with one another, oftentimes in ways that are far more salacious than the romantic entanglements depicted on television medical shows constrained by censorship.

This book presents cases involving everything from puppy love to the real thing. In that hormonally-fueled gamut are some expected things, such as flirting and affairs, but also others that you've probably never heard about, nor could even imagine. There is something about the intensity of emergency rooms that tends to foster passion. After reading these stories, I think you'll agree.

You can lose weight easily. I did it, and so can you. When I got out of my residency program, I was so fat that I could not see my feet when I stood up. Although I am now 17 years older, I have a better body than most teenagers. How did I get in such good shape—and stay that way? Probably not in the way you think. My work is primarily sedentary, I eat sweets, and I never starve myself. In fact, I usually eat until I am full, and I typically “pig out” at least once per week. I don't use any drugs or herbs to lose weight. I exercise occasionally, but the workouts are brief and not too strenuous. So how did I lose weight easily, and keep in great shape without torturing myself?

Before I explain that, I must tell you a bit about myself, and why I feel that I am more qualified than an average weight loss expert. I graduated in the top 1% of my class in medical school. If nothing else, that is a testament to the fact that I learned more than 99% of my colleagues. However, the key to generating a real breakthrough in weight loss or any other field is an innovative mind. I may be smarter or more academically successful than 99% of other doctors, but formal schooling is not my forte. My strength is innovation and inventing. I have over 850 inventions and countless innovative ideas. One of those ideas pertains to how a person can lose weight easily without dieting, drugs, herbs, exercise, or surgery.

I conceived this idea years ago, but never mentioned it because it was so obvious to me that I was certain one of the “big name” weight loss experts would also think of it. But they never did. They're just rehashing old ideas and getting rich in the process, even if their advice is lackluster. Take Dr. Phil, for example. He rose to fame as a protégé of Oprah, and he is truly gifted in delivering pithy quips. Lately, however, he seems to believe that he is a weight loss expert. That is laughably ironic to me, considering that Dr. Phil is overweight. I heard him trying to excuse this by blaming it on an old injury, but don't we all have excuses? I could have stayed a blimp and blamed it on my sedentary job, bad joints, and pudgy genes. But I did not want excuses, I wanted results. I hated schooling, but I love to read extensively. I learned many great weight loss tips, and I developed some tips myself, including the breakthrough idea on how it's possible to lose weight easily without dieting, drugs, herbs, exercise, or surgery. I described these tips in my book, Lose Weight Easily. You can read it in an afternoon, and be on your way to having a great body—easily.

Trivia: Did you know that sex is part of medicine?

It is! Sex ed isn't just for kids in school. Sex is part of the field of medicine, as is physiology, biochemistry, anatomy, pharmacology, endocrinology, nutrition, neurology, etc. Actually, the part of sex I focus on largely IS physiology, biochemistry, anatomy, pharmacology, endocrinology, nutrition, and neurology. Most authors waste your time telling you things you already know or could easily figure out on your own (e.g., sexual positions), but as a doctor, I focus on things you likely won't know unless you went to medical school, graduated in the top 1% of your class (as I did), and read voraciously thereafter about those subjects and many more, integrating that info (“putting 2 and 2 together”) in a way that gives readers many ways to make sex better than they ever thought possible.

The medical school I attended emphasized sex more than most others, and we were taught in a surprising way by a group of doctors who specialized in teaching sex to medical students. One of their primary objectives was to erase the silly inhibitions and taboos about sex that society instills, so we would treat sex as just another topic, no more shameful than discussing cardiology or neurology. The professors said that doctors who didn't have this training tend to be uncomfortable discussing sex with patients, who sense the discomfort, clam up, and seek the solutions to their problems elsewhere: from a locker-room buddy or one of the many hot young bimbos who call themselves “sexperts” and write about sex even though they couldn't tell a neurotransmitter from an enzyme.

Physicians do a much better job of writing about sex, but the depth and breadth of their material is usually unimpressive. Sad to say, but many doctors don't understand competitive inhibition, polymorphisms, and many other things they should know about so they can translate that gobbledygook into practical advice for their readers.

Nor do most doctors understand the advantages of not being boxed in by nonsensical cultural rules. Here's a relevant excerpt from a Wall Street Journal article (The Secret of Immigrant Genius: Having your world turned upside down sparks creative thinking): “Some people start to see the arbitrary nature of many of their own cultural habits and open their minds to new possibilities. Once you recognize that there is another way of doing X or thinking about Y, all sorts of new channels open to you …”

In other words, unshackling yourself from those irrational rules is a key to sparking creativity, which is the linchpin of progress. Creativity is the ultimate reason why today's Americans are much more prosperous than either the settlers who populated North America or the Native Americans they displaced; it's because we invented stuff, creating miraculous products that transformed life and ignited our economy.

Creativity also explains why the average income is close to $50,000, not $500,000. There's no insurmountable law of physics or chemistry setting a ceiling on income. American incomes stagnated then faltered because our engine of innovation is sputtering. We've been so dazzled by the mountain of new products and services we often fail to notice they usually don't add up to a hill of beans. Pop quiz to prove this: name the last one that made life significantly better.

“… perhaps Madonna is aiming … to make a cultural point. … Because, let's face it, the nation still has a huge issue with the naked body—on or off the page—that simply doesn't exist in Europe, the region of the world we most like to compare ourselves to when it comes to who's more open, more forward, more sophisticated.”
— Tim Murphy

To illustrate how utterly silly the taboos about sex are in the United States, consider these ridiculously artificial and indefensible boundaries:

An example of what is commonly seen at the beach or on Facebook.

You can talk about breast size and no one bats an eye, but you can't mention penis size except in men's magazines and magazines that primarily appeal to men, such as Popular Science, the back pages of which often include sex ads.

You can talk—and even joke!—about impotence (Erectile Dysfunction or “ED”), you can be inundated with Viagra®, Cialis®, and Levitra® commercials and ads, and you can see the Viagra® logo emblazoned on stock cars, which are sometimes called (for example) the “Viagra Ford Taurus Race Car.” While it is acceptable to talk about a man's failure to perform (“ED”), it is considered really icky to mention the physiological equivalents in females: impaired vaginal lubrication and clitoral engorgement.

It is fine for women to bare their breasts (but not the areolas or nipples—another indefensible circumscription of acceptability) on the beach and in public, but many people become very uncomfortable seeing much less of the breast exposed when it is fulfilling its natural function: breastfeeding. Go figure. Many American women routinely display their cleavage (even in places where it seems out of place, such as at work or on TV), yet normal men have no desire to show their penises. Breasts are to women what penises are to men: an important part of their sexuality. Women who showcase their breasts by displaying cleavage do that to enhance their sexual appeal to everyone in sight even though dressing more modestly has compelling advantages. So why are so many women so eager to reveal such an intimate part of their bodies? Go figure. That one gender proudly displays what the other hides cannot be explained by logic, but only by quirky and indefensible cultural norms.

No one can justify why these taboos make sense, but they are likely a product of the same human idiocy that led to the Salem witch trials. In today's supposedly sophisticated and cerebral world, we look back at those simpletons in 1692 and 1693, wondering how so many people could be so deluded by such an obviously nonsensical belief that people were accused of witchcraft and prosecuted in county court trials, which convicted many people and executed them by hanging, except for one particularly unfortunate man, Giles Corey, who “refused to enter a plea and was crushed to death under heavy stones in an attempt to force him to do so.”

While we laugh at those people for their ideas that seemed to originate on Mars, people of the future will laugh at people in our culture whose pea-brains tell them it is OK to talk about breast size but not penis size, and it is OK to talk about penile erectile dysfunction but not impaired vaginal lubrication or clitoral engorgement. Impaired clitoral engorgement is just another way of saying clitoral erectile dysfunction, so you must really wonder about the brainpower of those who don't object when Viagra® and discussions of it are wallpapered over our world 'cause it is OK to talk about penile erectile dysfunction but not clitoral erectile dysfunction. Go figure.

They cause SIDE EFFECTS?

In case you think you are smart enough to logically justify those ridiculously artificial and indefensible boundaries, I'll give $100,000 to the first person who can:

Persuade me that intelligent and sophisticated people should adhere to them and

Refute my claim that better doctors know more about every branch of medicine, including sex and

Explain why it makes sense for our culture to be so tolerant of sex when it is exploited by corporations hoping to profit from us, but why it makes sense for our culture to be so uneasy with the kind of sex that strengthens marriages and makes babies (see below).

Too much work for $100,000? OK, I'll make it $300,000.

Feel free to contact me and submit your best justification, but prepare for me to respond by laughing!

Almost every person develops at least one sexual problem in his or her lifetime—often secondary to various diseases (diabetes, hypertension, hemochromatosis, etc.) or drugs prescribed by doctors who don't know—or don't care—those drugs can decimate libido, sexual pleasure, or performance. Since sex is the primary glue that binds men and women together (see below), weakening that bond undermines relationships and contributes to divorce or infidelity when people think the grass might be greener on the other side of the hill.

I've corresponded with people from around the world, and found that adults in the United States are more likely to possess a bizarre dichotomy about sexual attitudes. On one hand, it is perfectly OK to have risqué T&A oozing out of every television program and commercial, movie, magazine ad, product packaging—you name it. Yes, it's completely acceptable to have sexually suggestive material fed to you 24/7/365, as long as your retina is focusing on images of hot young airbrushed strangers who model for corporations that hope to sell you something. But real sex with a real person is somehow so shameful that it can't be discussed in public, or often even in private (as with a spouse or personal physician), without evoking uneasiness, apprehension, dread, and shame.

Isn't this a strange inversion of acceptability? Cheap, inescapable, in-your-face sexuality is routinely exploited by companies that hope to profit from you, but real sex—the kind that makes babies, bonds men and women together, and makes life more enjoyable—eewww! Better talk about it in hushed tones behind closed doors, like the Communists used to do when discussing freedom in the USSR before it disintegrated, or skip that topic altogether, and discuss something more palatable, such as the latest chapter in the sex life of Paris Hilton. Nuts.

Asked to explain the disconnect between what people do in the privacy of their bedrooms and the widespread backlash against sex in our culture, Dr. Marty Klein responded, “Two words: mental illness!” This seems to especially apply to leaders who publicly rail against sexual freedom while engaging in a series of extramarital affairs, often with women young enough to be their daughters. It also applies to the many millions of hypocrites who blast others for doing what they've done. Oddly, they often lambaste normal, healthy activities while turning a blind eye to what's truly reprehensible. But isn't that what you'd expect from a mentally ill culture?

Why is the United States “such a nutty country when it comes to sex”?
— Dr. Marty Klein, in Imagine Sex Is Just Sex

Discussing sex should not bother anyone mature enough to know where babies come from, but some folks whose maturity does not match their age manifest their immaturity by objecting to mature discussions of sex but not immature portrayals of it.

University at Buffalo sociologists found that in the last several decades, the portrayal of women in the popular media has become increasingly sexualized, even “pornified.” Our culture too often treats women as sexual objects, which triggers negative consequences. One of the study authors, Erin Hatton, said, “Sexualized portrayals of women have been found to legitimize or exacerbate violence against women and girls, as well as sexual harassment and anti-women attitudes among men and boys.” Sex is a healthy part of life for mature people, while immature people—like too many in our culture—treat sex in an unhealthy way that penalizes women in general. It's high time those childish people grew up.

“It is no measure of good health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”
— Jiddu Krishnamurti, Indian spiritualist

Our society is indeed profoundly sick. Besides its often juvenile attitude about sex, Americans are frequently enamored with their opinions and possess a hair-trigger for pillorying others who dare to think differently. This intellectual bigotry is especially prevalent in people lacking the mental horsepower to factually debate topics, so they resort to ad hominem attacks and character assassination.

For a classic case of this, read how the PC police assailed Dr. Lazar Greenfield, a distinguished vascular surgeon, renowned inventor, emeritus professor of surgery at the University of Michigan School of Medicine, editor-in-chief of Surgery News, and president-elect of the American College of Surgeons. What did he do to have so many people going for his jugular? Write an editorial with a closing line that some folks opined was in poor taste.

Would it be fair for others to try ruining your reputation and career because you made a few mistakes, or even a single one? You wouldn't think so; in fact, you'd think your critics were nuts, and you'd have some justification for thinking that, because intolerance is one of the hallmarks of certain forms of mental illness. The American culture is increasingly intolerant of normal human imperfections. We all have flaws and make mistakes, but the kooks in our culture love to get on their high horse and berate others for their imperfections. Imagine how much less criticism there would be if we first had to prove our perfection. Mentally healthy people give others leeway to be human and therefore not perfect.

Ironically, the backlash against Dr. Greenfield primarily came from the Left—the same Left that pats itself on the back for being tolerant. They wish to enforce an extreme intolerance: one strike and you're out; one bad joke and your career and reputation are toast. However, the Left favors endless tolerance for anyone who marches in lockstep with their ideas. Appearing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, President Obama said, “It's like, it was like the Special Olympics or something” in referring to his low bowling score.

Had President George W. Bush similarly insulted the disabled, liberal activists would have tarred and feathered him, excoriating him for years afterward. However, the liberal outrage over Obama's blunder was surprisingly mild. ABC News wasn't happy about it, nor was Tim Shriver, chairman of the Special Olympics. Rahm Emanuel, then White House chief of staff, also apologized to the Special Olympics head after he called a group of liberal activists “fucking retarded.”

By giving passes to those they favor and going overboard nitpicking against others with different opinions, the Left clearly has a double standard of tolerance that manifests their bigotry:

bigot (noun): (1) a person who is utterly intolerant of any differing opinion, belief, or creed; (2) a person who is obstinately intolerant of any ideas other than his or her own, especially on politics or religion, and has animosity toward those of differing beliefs.

Ironically, liberals are supposedly the tolerant ones. Liberal is supposed to mean:

(1) not limited to established, traditional, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry;
(2) open to proposals for reform or new ideas for progress;
(3) tolerant of change or the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded;
(4) accepting; not criticizing or disapproving;
(5) showing respect for the opinions, practices, or rights of others;
(6) full of love and generosity;
(7) tolerant and forgiving under provocation;
(8) inclined to forgive and show mercy;
(9) indulgent, easy-going, charitable, open-minded, understanding, sympathetic, kind-hearted, unprejudiced.

So much irony, so little tolerance, so much hate for others who dare to not agree with them on everything. I agree with liberals on some issues and conservatives on others, so I know that not all liberals or leftists are intolerant. Intolerance stems from the immaturity, mental illness, and bigotry of some liberals. Intolerance is nothing to be proud of, but too many folks on the Left wield it as if it were a magic wand they can wave against their opponents and make them go away.

“Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too.”
— Voltaire

Doctors should sound like doctors

When I did radio interviews years ago to promote my first book of ER stories, I asked the hosts in advance if they wanted me to euphemize the adult terms. Almost none did; instead, they told me to use anatomically appropriate language. The most common explanation they gave was that people expect physicians to matter-of-factly use the correct terminology and sound like a doctor.

A personal explanation of why I wrote The Science of Sex: When I graduated from medical school, writing about sex was the last thing on my mind. A decade later, I was convinced that I had to write about it. What changed my opinion? A constellation of several factors, including:

A realization that the millions of health books were doing very little to augment health because almost no one reads them—and the few who do are usually put to sleep by boring authors. Knowing that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, I knew that putting health information in a sexy package would amplify its palatability. People who come looking for pleasure and hot bodies leave with priceless health information to help them feel better mentally and physically, think better, act better (e.g., we're all empathetic in our minds but not actions), and live longer while placing less burden on our society that simply cannot afford to continue patching up Humpty Dumpties who seem hell-bent on destroying their health and mood with processed foods, booze, tobacco, legal and illegal drugs, obliviousness to environmental hazards, and a couch potato lifestyle excused by quick trips to the gym despite evidence that exercise is not enough. Most folks who consider themselves physiologically hip think they're as good as new once they burn off the sugar from their latest treat, but the facts indicate otherwise. The problem is that those facts are rarely seen and integrated into lives focused more on immediate reward (such as the pleasure of eating or sitting on your butt) than long-term benefits: one manifestation of the phenomenon termed discounting the future. Knowing this, and aspiring to be more than the next doctor who repeats the mistakes of past ones who blew their chances to help people become healthier and happier, I packaged my health information in books about sex and other topics that give immediate and long-term rewards. Makes sense, doesn't it?

Sex sells. Sex has been used to sell countless things, including cars, real estate, beer, cigarettes, and travel. I used sex to sell health by attracting readers who came looking for sexual information and left with much more, including some crucial topics their personal physicians know little about. Has your doc ever discussed endothelins with you? Probably not, but they affect your sex life and life in general.

Knowledge is power. Knowing about endothelins and the many other topics I discuss will help forestall your last trip: to the grave. As a physician dedicated to preserving life, I'll do anything I can to help others, including writing about sex and topics allied to it, which is everything pertaining to health.

Even some of my more mature physician friends will mock patients with problems they cannot diagnose, whether they deal with sex or something else. It's tough for docs with big egos to admit they don't have all the answers, so if a patient has a problem they can't figure out, they may deride the patient as an ego defense mechanism. Their illogic goes like this:

“If the patient has an imaginary problem, no one can fault me for not diagnosing it. Since I'm so darn smart, if I can't figure it out, the problem must be in his head.”

Since the dawn of medicine, most problems once thought to be in people's heads were shown to be real, not imaginary. I strongly suspect that many of the ones now thought to be imaginary are also real.

I've received countless messages from people with sexual problems who were told by their doctors that the problems were all in their heads. If you read those messages, you wouldn't need an M.D. after your name to realize they are real problems that many of us experience, but some doctors are too lazy to continue their medical education enough to know that the lack of enjoyment of sex—a very common complaint—boils down to applied neurophysiology. Patients with such problems don't want to be mocked or treated as children and told the problem is in their heads, THEY WANT THE DOCTOR TO HAVE DOCTOR-LEVEL KNOWLEDGE AND HELP THEM, NOT RIDICULE OR PATRONIZE THEM!

Patients usually receive pathetically incompetent and amateurish treatment for sexual problems. For example, men with ED often receive Viagra® but nothing more. If infectious disease specialists were as daffy as the docs who prescribe only Viagra®, they'd give patients with fevers secondary to infections Tylenol® and perhaps douse them in cold water—just treating the symptom, not the underlying cause. Rarely is Viagra® appropriate as sole therapy.

I had a patient who committed suicide because of his lack of endowment. That was an extreme case, but plenty of men are obsessed with their lack of size, just as many women are equally preoccupied by the size of their breasts, thighs, or buttocks. As a doctor, I understand the biological roots of these desires, so I know that addressing them and successfully dealing with them is often more productive than telling you that there are more important things to worry about in life.

After I developed a sexual problem as a result of taking a certain prescription drug, I realized how pathetically little doctors know about sex. I knew that my only hope was to help myself, but that proved to be a daunting task. Pick up a typical sex book, and what do you find? Probably a few good tips scattered throughout a few hundred pages of very basic info that most adults need to be told about as much as they need to hear an admonition to "look both ways before crossing a street." Frankly, reading one book didn't do me much good. Nor did reading ten books. However, after reading over 100,000 sources (books, journal articles, etc.) and conducting my own research, I knew there was a wealth of information available about libido, sexual pleasure, and performance BUT no one had yet integrated all of that information. Other authors focused on little facts here and there while missing the big picture. Their fragmentary grasp of sex ensured that they couldn't do much to help people, even if they were a world-famous sexologist. Consider the case of Dr. Ruth, for example. Her claim to fame isn't knowing more than other sex "experts," it is her cute accent and the startling incongruity of a little old lady talking about sex so brazenly and straightforwardly.

As a physician and scientist, I do not believe that one can truly be an expert in one field without knowing a lot about related subjects. Oddly, most people who claim to be experts in sex naively believe that they can master the subject by reading about sex and only sex. Wrong. One cannot be a sex expert without also having a good background in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, organic chemistry, statistics, physics, electronics, materials science, genetics, anatomy, physiology, nutrition, histology, microbiology, endocrinology, pharmacology, embryology, and pathology in addition to the various branches of medicine such as obstetrics, gynecology, urology, surgery, internal medicine, radiology, dermatology, neurology, pediatrics, and even emergency medicine. A true expert must study those subjects AND keep up with the countless new advances because some of them indirectly pertain to sex. I don't know of anyone other than myself who is willing to work that hard. Other sex "experts" (or so they claim to be) are satisfied with their superficial grasp of sex because they know that they can sell any book, no matter how amateurish and unhelpful it is, by giving it an enticing title and cover.

Sex is an important part of life, especially when there is a problem in that area. Sexual troubles are one of the primary reasons why marriages dissolve. Countless millions of children, including me, were raised in broken homes because one or both parents were sexually dissatisfied. Thus, sex isn't just about sex: it is also about children, families, and happiness. Good marriages are one of the most important factors contributing to societal stability, but where can sexually unfulfilled people turn to for help? Physicians, pastors, therapists, counselors, and most sex authors simply don't know enough to help solve even basic problems. For example, here is a common one that many men face when they hit middle age: Sex doesn't feel as good as it once did. Sex once gave them rapturous pleasure, and now it leaves them wondering why intercourse is so disappointing. Sex is the primary "glue" that binds men and women together, so once that glue begins to dissolve, so does the strength of their bond. They might become more emotionally detached, or they might divorce, even if it does damage their kids—and it will. Some divorces are relatively amicable, but many are not, culminating in bitter feuds and even murder, as I've seen by watching true crime shows on television.

The medical and societal significance of my findings: Even if you are not interested in penile enlargement, my serendipitous discovery that true penile growth can be rekindled after puberty is very interesting from a medical standpoint because it demonstrates yet another way in which doctors and scientists are wrong about something they believe so firmly that they don't even bother to question it.

“Academic education is the act of memorizing things read in books, and things told by college professors who got their education mostly by memorizing things read in books.”
— Elbert HubbardComment: Although we like to think that scientists are impartial, this unbiased veneer often cloaks a rigid close-mindedness that blinds them to seriously consider some useful ideas that run contrary to the dogma they swallowed hook, line, and sinker from listening to their similarly close-minded professors who acquired their intellectual biases from the preceding generation who also went through life with blinders on.

Whether or not you care about science (which involves going wherever evidence takes you, not where political correctness or preconceived notions limits you), you should care about close-mindedness because it IS screwing you in countless ways, from limiting the size of your paycheck to depriving you of better government services at less cost (example #1 • example #2) and even depriving you of health, happiness, and more years to enjoy it.

American leaders are so cocksure that our patent system is the best way to incentivize innovation they won't consider how to leapfrog that dinosaur. Playing the patent game takes lots of time and money. Of the thousands of inventions I have that could make your life better than you ever imagined possible, considerably less than 1% were funded by venture capitalists willing to pay for quality patent applications, with the rest just piling up. Among the latter are my best inventions, able to solve at least one of the world's most pressing problems, and one that almost certainly affects you or a loved one.

If you study history, you will find that people have given more credence to health “facts” then in vogue than those “facts” deserved. Actually, many of those “facts” are dead wrong. For example, I once studied the evolution of the acceptance of the germ theory of disease. To do that, I didn't take the lazy approach and just read what others have said about this topic. Instead, I read the actual medical journals and newspapers from that era. When I did that, I found that some of the foremost medical scientists in the late 1800s thought it was preposterous to think that microscopic organisms could cause disease. Those preeminent authorities often ridiculed the germ theory of disease, which is now one of the most basic tenets of medicine.

Some of the best minds in medicine have flubbed the understanding of the etiology (the study of the causes or origins of disease) of other diseases in recent times, too. For example, it wasn't long ago that it would have been laughable to think that peptic ulcers could be caused by bacteria, but we now know that a bug called Helicobacter pylori is responsible for most ulcers, according to the National Institutes of Health. We are also witnessing a profound rethinking of what causes something as basic as clogged arteries. It's not just a matter of fat and cholesterol.

When I stumbled upon a way to trigger a “second puberty” of penile growth, I wondered if I should write about it because that finding went against the grain of conventional wisdom, and I know how eager people are to belittle doctors who discover things that don't fit into their neat little picture of reality. Anyone who is on the cutting edge of science risks being ridiculed by people with small minds who cling to the past, akin to the hidebound members of the Flat Earth Society. Nicolaus Copernicus and Galileo were ridiculed and persecuted for saying the Earth is not the center of the universe, but they were correct, and everyone who doubted them were wrong.

“It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong.”
— Voltaire

In a blog posting, I discussed how we are penalized by hidebound inside-the-box thinkers, including many of our leaders and experts who cling to old ideas and resist new ones. Good outside-the-box ideas could benefit us in many ways. Even if you are not interested in penile enlargement, you could benefit from my outside-the-box ways to lose weight without willpower or pain, or my methods of increasing IQ that enabled me to go from dunce to doctor. If you aren't satisfied with a wheel or a track, I have a better idea: an invention I made that can instantly morph from a wheel into a track, or vice versa, and do things that neither tracks nor wheels can do. Want another outside-the-box idea? I have countless ones.

“Never apologize for being correct. Many people, especially ignorant people, want to punish you for speaking the truth, for being correct, for being you. Never apologize for being correct, or for being years ahead of your time. If you're right and you know it, speak your mind. Speak your mind even if you are a minority of one. The truth is still the truth.”
— Mahatma Gandhi

Unlike a car salesman who puts his interests ahead of yours, physicians must put the interests of patients ahead of their personal interests. In medical school, I was taught that if one possesses knowledge that can help others, it is an ethical transgression to withhold that information. I therefore felt morally compelled to write about sex because I knew that I had countless tips that could help people. Personally, I would rather write a book about building sheds or making your own snowmobile or tractor. I could have kept to myself all of the sex info that I acquired over many years of reading and research, but I wanted to share that knowledge so others could benefit from it.

In my blog, I asked “When will adults grow up, or wise up, regarding sex?” I'll give $100,000 to the first person who reads the three articles I presented and persuades me that we shouldn't grow up or wise up about sex; that it is preferable to keep doing what we've been doing, which is frequently acting like immature children.

Can sex make you smarter?

Research shows that sex can increase intelligence (for example, see Scientific American Mind, September/October 2011, pages 36 - 43), so it is reasonable to wonder if more sex and better sex do even more for the mind. As I discussed in an article, geniuses are often very fond of sex. Albert Einstein, Robert Oppenheimer, Erwin Schrödinger, Marie Curie, Nobel Prize-winning Richard Feynman, and Founding Father Ben Franklin were intensely interested in sex and had more of it. In contrast, small-minded idiots are less interested in sex and more interested in ridiculing its importance and discussions of it. Thus, smart people should read on, while dumbbells should keep knocking their heads against an undeniable truth: sex is one of the most important parts of life. Lose that spark, and you've lost an essential ingredient to a great life, and perhaps a first-rate mind.

UPDATE: Don't let the price (FREE; contact me to get it) fool you: this is a superb book chock-full of information you won't find in other such books, even if you read a hundred of them. The smartest literary agent I know called, saying “Your work is fantastic!” He was so impressed by it he contacted me out of the blue and did his best for weeks trying to persuade me to partner with him; he proposed publishing it as a hardcover, with him paying 100% of the printing cost (tens of thousands of dollars for the initial printing), and with me receiving 50% of the profit: substantially more than what authors typically get. As impressed as I was by his offer, I think the hardcover format isn't the best one for a book like this. When I work on it, I add new content every day, integrating it to make the book cohesive instead of tacking it on as an addendum to a newsletter, website, or RSS feed.

Another validation came from a man who is a doctor, lawyer, and publisher who wanted to publish the book with some minor changes. In retrospect, his proposed changes were great advice, but I was hardheaded in those days.

Cast away your preconceptions of sex books as being a rehash of things you already know and hence a waste of time. By reading this book, you will learn things that Dr. Ruth and other sexologists have never considered.

Reader comments:

Reader in California: “This book completely blows away any other sex book, by a country mile. To borrow an old European country saying: first comes this book, then there's a loooooong stretch where there's nothing . . . then there's a big pile of manure . . . then another long stretch of nothing . . . then every other book on the market. Well, it's funnier in German. :-) Anyway, you can go to any bookstore, and replace the entire sex section with this book. No one can complain that you don't tell it like it is, and explain what to do about it. It's safe to say there won't be any other book out there to touch this one for interest level, straight talk, and practical advice. Congratulations!”

Scott in Seattle: “Dr. Pezzi, you spoiled my whole weekend! I bought the book on Thursday and then proceeded to get nothing done until I finished it many hours later on Sunday! The Science of Sex may have made me ineffective at getting my work done but it made me much more effective with my lover. It was filled with great information and real action items. I am very impressed and appreciative.”

A fellow MD: “. . . it is vastly superior to anything I have seen on the topic from a medical view.”

Reader in US: “I'm reading the book now . . . fascinating, extremely well written, and an incredible bargain!”

Reader in Florida: “Dr. Pezzi, I absolutely love The Science of Sex and your website. I cannot put into words how much I appreciate and respect your knowledge and attention to detail.

If you're interested in this book, you probably know why reading it can benefit you: a better brain can help you achieve your career objectives and excel in your job. As the world becomes increasingly competitive and challenging, being smart is no longer good enough; you must be brilliant.

No matter how smart you are now, Dr. Pezzi can help you become more intelligent and creative, with enhanced memory, concentration, and motivation. You will become more focused, productive, and even happier, because boosting your brainpower will make your education and occupation easier, thus giving you more free time and less to worry about.

Having a better job can give you more satisfaction and potentially millions of extra dollars in lifetime earnings. You could spend tens of thousands of dollars buying every brainpower book and journal ever published, and attending every conference on intelligence, yet you still wouldn't know many of the tips in Dr. Pezzi's brainpower book. So what will his book cost you? About what you could make in one hour as a doctor, or one minute as a CEO: $195. However, if you pre-order it now, you will save $100 and get free lifetime updates and additions to it.

Don't be penny-wise and pound-foolish. Don't fritter away your money on iPods and clothes you might wear a few times before tossing them in the trash. Instead, spend your money on something that can help you make much more money and have a better life.

A health book that's packed with information yet is actually enjoyable to read—sound impossible? It's not! Here is what some reviewers said about Fascinating Health Secrets:

Alan Jakeway, Northern Express: “You've got to hand it to Dr. Pezzi—he knows how to craft a health book that's as gripping as a ride through a big city ER. While many health books are as dry and dull as a surgeon's medical transcript, Dr. Pezzi brings a good bedside manner to his book, blending humor, first-person insights and a folksy wisdom with cutting edge medicine. Fascinating Health Secrets is a ‘good read’ page-turner that will keep your attention at the beach as well as any summer novel. Dr. Pezzi's encyclopedic scope is aided by equal measures of humor and intelligence.”

David Hacker, Prime Time News & Observer: “There's an odd fascination with the way Pezzi's mind works. He is a scholar, bright (possibly brilliant), and single-minded. There's plenty of useful information . . . some interesting tidbits . . . life-saving tips . . . and amusing historic trivia. For the most part, you can take this book seriously. At the same time, you can have fun with its folksy, whimsical and chatty style.”

Registered Nurse, Flint MI: “Wow! What a book! How much does it cost? No, I don't care how much — I've got to have that book!”

Reader, Los Angeles CA: “I'm speechless. Fascinating Health Secrets is simply a fantastic book. I can't begin to tell you what a pleasure it is to read—my brain gets such a great workout it feels like drinking 5 cups of coffee. Rarely do I find something so mentally stimulating that I can actually feel my IQ rising as I read it. Apart from the health tips themselves, there is so much killer material in the book. I found myself laughing out loud, and nodding in total agreement. Please accept a virtual handshake and hearty slap on the back for such a wonderful piece of work.”

Retired Dentist, Albion, MI: “That book by Dr. Pezzi is fabulous. You would expect a man who is such an unusually bright person would be beyond the average person to understand. He is so down-to-earth and practical, so sensible and honest. I wish he was practicing here—I would go to him in a minute. That's one book that won't be loaned to anyone.”

“People are fed by the food industry, which pays no attention to health, and are treated by the health industry, which pays no attention to food.”
— Wendell Berry

From Bailout to Bliss

WHAT YOU KNOW: The economy is bad.

WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW: It's going to get much worse.

WHAT YOU ALMOST CERTAINLY DON'T KNOW: How to find the silver lining in this economic cloud.

The bailouts stemming from the subprime mortgage crisis are just the first round in a series of financial shocks that will devastate our economy. In this book, I reveal the silver lining in our economic cloud: how to figuratively turn lemons not just into lemonade, but into gold. While we are headed for some very rough times, there are ways for us, individually and collectively, to sidestep much of the fallout from this crisis. We can go from bailouts to bliss.

I spent a few months researching our economic crisis because I needed to forecast where we're headed so that I can make wise long-term decisions regarding my invention development. In the midst of that investigation, I had a political epiphany and finally understood that the fiscal conservative - liberal dichotomy is one of the many "us versus them" ruses exploited by rich and powerful special interests to camouflage who the real enemy is: them. I substantiate that opinion in From Bailout to Bliss. Like most people, my political opinions were so etched in stone that I couldn't imagine that they would ever change—but they did.

If you read this book, you will realize:

That there is a perfect solution to our financial crisis that can give us happier lives than we ever imagined and could make everyone feel as if they've hit the jackpot.

How leaders get us to fight each other, not them.

Why bailouts may just be a scam to make rich people even richer.

Why elections have not been an effective remedy for our political and economic ailments.

Why the current two-party system dominated by Democrats and Republicans gives us the illusion of choice, not real choice.

Why a Russian political analyst is predicting that our economic crisis could lead to the breakup of the United States.

Every great crisis is potentially a great opportunity, but to prosper from this one, you must reboot your thinking and carefully contemplate everything: from dating and marriage, to education and employment, to health and happiness, and the many decisions you make as a consumer and voter. We were raised in a culture that once gave us the ability to essentially go on autopilot and still do OK. Those days are over. Even the smartest people must now carefully analyze whether doing things the old way is still the right way. The answer is often no, but most people don't yet get it. I see smart people and politicians doing incredibly counterproductive things because they are basing their game plans on an outdated playbook.

While it is tempting to look to our political leaders for guidance, you will likely achieve far better results by educating yourself and thinking for yourself. Most politicians are now cluelessly wondering how they should respond to this financial crisis and the ones to come—you have heard about the next wave of mortgage problems, haven't you? The subprime mortgage crisis was only the first shock wave to hit our economy. More disasters are looming, but don't despair: I will help educate and guide you.

Would you trade a much smaller home for a much better life? Most people never realize how the direct and indirect expenses of traditional home ownership doom them to spend their lives working and struggling to stay out of debt. That's true at any time, but especially true during our current economic crisis. If you want more free time for you and your family, read this book. If you love working more than anything else, keep doing what you've been doing.

In this free book, I reveal how to substantially reduce your risk of developing or dying from cancer. I don't perform cancer research, but it is one of the many topics I study, evidently more than most doctors who treat cancer.

Not even close! Just ONE of those 4545 cancer patients received the recommended treatment! That is almost as unlikely as your lifetime risk for being struck by lightning, so it is downright pathetic when doctors who routinely treat cancer patients are so poor at giving them the most up-to-date care. When well over 99% of doctors fail to do that, it is obvious that information is not adequately filtering down to medical practitioners.

Unfortunately, this is just the tip of their ignorance. Doctors do an even worse job of disseminating information to patients about what they can do to avoid cancer or recover from it, besides (or in addition to) typical after-the-fact medical therapy.

Therefore, what may sound wacky often makes perfect sense to educated people, while those lacking the brainpower or inclination to understand it may only scratch the surface before going berserk making wildly irresponsible allegations about my discussions of that research.

This reminds me of how the sister of a friend reacted when she heard me use a word she didn't know. Being intellectually arrogant and evidently unable to fathom that she might not know something, she concluded that since she didn't know the word, it must not exist, and I was therefore an idiot for using it. When my friend with a doctorate degree heard that, he chuckled and explained the word was quite valid, and I was no idiot. A word to the wise: Since no one knows everything or anything close to it, by yapping about the lack of intelligence of someone who knows something you do not, youcome across asbeing a close-minded idiot. Being stubbornly unreceptive to new ideas and the opinions of others is the hallmark of a bigot. Bigotry comes in many flavors, all of them unappealing.

“The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don't know anything about.”
— Wayne Dyer

“There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.”
— Søren Kierkegaard

“There's nothing more dangerous than a closed mind.”
— Anonymous

“The thing about smart people is that they seem like crazy people to dumb people.”
— Anonymous

“Small minds cannot comprehend big spirits. To be great you have to be willing to be mocked, hated, and misunderstood. Stay strong.”
— Robert Tew

While good new ideas are often ridiculed by people with closed (and lesser) minds, those innovations are the steppingstone that take us from where we are, to where we want to be, by giving us a brighter future. An advertising slogan created for Apple Computer in 1997 brilliantly explained how “the round pegs in the square holes, the ones who see things differently” who are “crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

Having read the foregoing, this shouldn't surprise you: Report Finds Most Errors at Hospitals Go UnreportedExcerpt: “Hospital employees recognize and report only one out of seven errors, accidents and other events that harm Medicare patients while they are hospitalized, federal investigators say in a new report. Yet even after hospitals investigate preventable injuries and infections that have been reported, they rarely change their practices to prevent repetition of the "adverse events," according to the study.”Comment: That meshes with my conclusions after having attended countless hospital meetings in various states of consciousness—hey, I worked the night shift! Hospital errors are caused by the same factors that caused them decades ago. After literally millions of meetings, hospitals should have significantly reduced error rates, but mistakes are just as common as they were years ago, and some things are worse, not better. Why? With many billions of dollars and millions of lives resting on the answer to that question, it is definitely worth asking. In my experience, I've seen how people who love to talk even when they have nothing worth saying can dominate conversations. The few good solutions presented are usually nixed by administrators who fear any change.

These tips can save you hundreds of dollars per year. Includes info found only in this e-book. Even if you think you know how to save gas, you'll learn new ways in Gas Saving Tips.

Folic acid: Friend or Foe?

For a cell to divide, it needs a number of specific factors. Two of those are folate and vitamin B12, both of which are members of the diverse B-vitamin family. You may be more familiar with folate being referred to as “folic acid,” which is the form found in supplements and fortified foods (the naturally occurring form of that vitamin is folate). Folate and folic acid are NOT synonyms, and they are NOT the same chemical. It is much better to obtain folate from natural foods than from supplements or fortified foods containing folic acid.

Folic acid can be both friend and foe; its “foe” action may give you and your loved ones decades of problems that are often incorrectly attributed to other causes. This perpetually “unsolved mystery” affects many millions of people, inducing symptoms that unwary physicians usually mistreat out of ignorance. Given its prevalence in supplements and fortified foods, unsuspecting consumers are bound to be exposed to folic acid, thereby setting the stage for subsequent problems that are usually misattributed to aging, bad genes, or bad luck.

If you want to learn more about this topic, consult me for $25 and I will send the book to you. It might be the best $25 you ever spend; it's a short book, but the information is priceless. If folic acid doesn't get you (or a loved one) now, it will probably get you later.

Upcoming books by Dr. Pezzi

If you wish to be notified when any of the following books are published, please visit this page and check the appropriate "notify me" checkbox:

So You Want to be an ER Doctor?
The Pros and Cons of a Career in Emergency Medicine
Tips on Achieving Your Goal

This book series is a must-read for anyone thinking of becoming an ER doctor. In a question and answer format, I answer hundreds of questions from people who want to know what the job entails and how to succeed in college and medical school so they can obtain a coveted ER residency position.

ER Doctor

Here are a few of the stories in ER Doctor:

How a beautiful young woman, unconscious after a car accident, was raped in the back of an ambulance.

How a paramedic fought a racial war by withholding care or purposely giving the wrong drug.

How an AIDS patient went on a rampage in a hospital and exposed hundreds of people to the HIV virus.

Skeptical? Read the book! It will be a free download from www.cureacold.com once I finalize the text and find a model for the cover photo. Incidentally, if you are a woman with a nice body and a happy face, you could be the cover model. Wouldn't that be a feather in your cap! :-) If you're interested, please contact me. UPDATE: I'll likely change this book title before it is released. Its original intent was to describe how some “colds” can be quickly stopped in their tracks, but in developing the manuscript, I added in so many other topics pertaining to infectious diseases that the original title isn't suitable. One of the added topics is presenting research evidence demonstrating the possible long-term or even permanent sequelae of various infectious diseases. Most people think that if they recover, they'll have no lasting damage. That's often not true, as I'll demonstrate.